Willem jansen



WJJANSEN, J. HZN. METHOD FOR MAKING BOOTS, SHOES, AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED NOV.29. l9l6.

1,303,065,. Patented May 6, 1919.

WILLEM JANSEN, J. HZNH, OF THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS.

METHOD FOR MAKING BOOTS, SHOES, AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. May 6, 1919.

Application filed November 29, 1916. Serial No. 134,163.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, WILLEM JANsEN, J. Hzn, a subject of the Queen of The Netherlands, residing at 147 'Bilderdijkstraat, The Hague, The Netherlands, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods for Making Boots, Shoes, and the like, of which the following is a specification.

Boots as usually worn do not come up to all requirements which they should answer as regards their exact adjustment and fit. As far as ready-made boots are concerned this is a matter of course, as such boots are made to certain standards and irrespective of the particularities of the feet of the person who is to wear them. But even boots made to measure are always imperfect. Such boots, as is well-known, are almost exclusively made with the aid of boot-trees, which in turn are made to certain measures taken by the shoe-maker. Apart from the fact that to one set of measures quite a number of widely diflering boot-trees may be made, it is obvious that with the aid of one boot-tree shoes may be got that differ in many respects. This must be attributed to the fact that the stresses in the upperleather as same is fastened to the inner-sole cannot practically be measured, so that the leather maybe stretched with various tensions. But also if these difficulties could be overcome, it would still be impossible. to

make a perfectly fitting boot with the aid of a boot tree, even if the latter were an exact cast of the foot, as in that case no allowance could be made for the changes in the form of the foot as same performs its function.

My present invention has for its object to obviate these drawbacks; it substantially consists in that the boots are wholly or in part shaped and made on the feet of the person who is to wear them, in such a manner, that the feet during this operation are caused to assume different positions. In this way the live foot is substitutedfor the dead boot-tree, so that the shoe-maker in.

stretching the leather can make allowance for the above mentioned changes in the form of the foot. My method may therefore be l s ee termed the'dynamic method, as contra-distinguished from the static method as hither- In this connection it may be well for me to make the following remarks:

1. If a boot shall answer all requirements, 2'. a. support or assist the foot in performing its function, it should under all circumstances make a perfect fit around the heel and the instep. Now the heel gage and the instep gage (2'. c. the circumference of the foot at a and b respectively in Figure l of the accompanying drawing) are minima in the extended position of the foot as per Fig. 1; besides the hollow of the foot is deepest in this position. Therefore it is essential that the upper-leather be stretched around the heel and the instep, and fastened to the rear part of the sole, in the said extended position of the foot, when the boot will always snugly fit around heel and the instep, and the tread will assume its correct shape.

2. The leg of the boot should never pinch the ankle or the Achilles heel, so that same should be stretched around the foot as the latter assumes its flexing position (Fig. 2) when the projection of the Achilles heel is maximum.

3. In said flexing position also the ball of the foot has its maximum width, i. e. the

circumference of the foot at c (Fig. 2) is maximum; now, as the upper-leather should never exert any pressure on the ball, it should be fastened to the ball part of the sole as the foot assumes its said flexing po sition.

In view of the foregoing it is proposed to make the boots and shoes according to the method hereinafter set forth in detail, and for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of certain phases of this method, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. i 1 is a more or less diagrammatic view illustrating the human foot 1n its nor mal or relaxed position. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the foot in a flexed position.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the insole made in accordance with the present method and having thereon a hollow toe form.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line AA of Fig. 3. a

Fig. 5 is a view of a complete boot illustrating the normal angle of spring of the sole thereof.

, Similar reference characters designate desired shape of the boot nose as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, (Z bein the sole and 'e the hollow metal toe piece. lhis metal toe piece more or less SUbSeIXGS the function of a retainer for correctly positioning the inner sole on the 'clients foot during the subsequent' fitting operation in connection with the uppers, and as well-known may vary'according to the shapeor fashion of the boots, since it has onlylimited part inthe correct fit of the boots.

In the meantime the shoe-maker determines the desired height of the heel as well as the desired spring of the boots, thespring being theangle between the horizontal plane *andthatpart of the sole which in the unloaded condition of the boot runs up'from the ball to the nose (Fig. 5) normally the spring is about 13.

Thereupon the upper-leather, which does not contain theheelseam yet, is loosely put around the foot and-provisionally heldfin position, 6. g. by means of a springclip. 'After this has been done, the heel seammay be made to the shape of the foot "and the under-leg, and according to what I remarked above sub 1 and 'Zthis should be done so that the part of the seam along the heel bemade in the "extended, (cf/Fig.1), and the part'along the Achilles heel in the flexed position (cf. Fig. 2) 'of the foot.

After the heel seam has been made, the stiffener is inserted, when the upper-leather may be fastenedto the inner-sole. This operation should also be carried out on the foot of the client. For this purpose the foot should be regulated, i. '6. brought into the most favorable position from an orthopedic point of view, in orderthat 'the boot may exactly fit the foot in its regulated position and consequently support it in the performance of its function; besides, the shoe-maker should during said operation have the faculty of imparting a certain movement to the foot. For carrying this object into effect, thefoot should be placed in some suitable apparatus adapted to cause it to assume the different desired positions and secure it in each of these positions,and further adapted to bring the leather under the required'tensional stress.

After being suitably secured" in the said apparatus the foot is first place'd'inits extended 'PO SItlOII :15 pg 1; ct the upper-leather is drawn in the desired direction,.preferably by means of an. adjustable load, and, according to what I remarked above sub 1, fastened by some suitable method to the inner-sole from the heel seam along both sides until where the ball begins. The foot is then, according to my remark sub 3, brought into and secured in its flexed position, (Fig. 2) this being dependent 'upon 'the previously determined height of the heel and the spring, both. of which should be fixed in the apparatusin order that the foot may; assume the correct position. The upper-leather is now no longer :held under tensional stress, but instead'the sole is stretched in a direction from bed to toe, preferablyzalso bymeans of an adjustable load, after which the upper-leather is drawn over the hollow piece 0 and further fastened to the sole.

The-shoes are :now provisionally provided with heels of the required height, after which the client may walk for some minutes in order that the tread and the leg may -make a perfect fit around the foot.

The heel and the outer sole may also be fastened to theboot on the foot of the client; as itis essential however that the clientshallloseas little time as possible, these operations are preferably; carried out in another way. That is to say, the boots are pulled ofi'and placed into asuitable apparatus, adjusted so that-the boots assume the spring as previously determined. A 'molten mass of low fusing point,"e.- gra suitable-metal'alloysuch as of the l/Voods metal 1 z. e. alloy of bismuth f parts, lead 2 parts, tin 1 part, cadmium 1 part, ora mixture "of gluean'dsawdust to'which a small quantity, about 2%, of'a mixture of ac'eticacid-and a formaldehyde has been added, is now cast "into the boots; after solidification this mass prevents undue deformation of the boot tread'while the outer sole is being fastened. "The boots may now be finished, and the solidified mass removed.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. A method of making boots and shoes on the natural foot as the last which consists in first measuring andfitting the inner sole'and placing the upper leather loosely around the foot, then making the heel seam, then,'with-the foot in its extended position and the'shoe partsstill "in situ on thefoot, fastening'the upper leather to the inner'sole from the heel to theball portion, then, with the foot in its flexed position, fastening the upper leather to the inner-sole as far as the ffront'jportion is concerned, and finally uniting :the outer sole. 7

'2. A method of"making"boots 'and' shoes on the natural foot as the last which consists in first measuring and fitting the inner sole and placing the upper leather loosely around the foot, then making the heel seam, then, with the foot in its extended position and the upper leather stretched around the heel and the instep, fastening the upper leather to the inner sole from the heel to the ball portion, then, with the foot in its flexed position and the inner sole stretched in the direction from heel to toe, fastening the up per leather to the inner sole, as far as the front portion is concerned, and finally uniting the outer sole.

3. A method of making boots and shoes on the natural foot as the last which consists in first measuring and fitting the inner sole, then placing the upper leather loosely around the foot, then making the heel seam while the foot is in its extended position as far as the heel is concerned and in the flexed position of the foot as far as the further portion thereof is concerned, then, with the foot in its extended position and the shoe parts still in situ on the foot, fastening the upper leather to the inner sole from the heel to the ball portion, then, with the foot in its flexed position, fastening the upper leather to the inner sole as far as the front portion is 1concerned, and finally uniting the outer so e.

4. A method of making boots and shoes on the natural foot as the last which consists in first measuring and fitting the inner sole, then providing the inner sole with a stiff hollow toe piece, then making the heel seam, then, with the foot in its extended position and the shoe parts still in situ on the foot, fastening the upper leather to the inner sole, from the heel to the ball portion, then, with the foot in its flexed position, fastening the upper leather to the inner sole as far as the front portion is concerned, and finally uniting the outer sole.

5. A method of making boots and shoes on the natural foot as the last which consists in first measuring and fitting the inner sole and placing the upper leather loosely around the foot, then making the heel seam, then, with the foot in its extended position and the shoe parts still in sit-u on the foot, fastening the upper leather to the inner solo from the heel to the ball portion, then, with the foot in its flexed position, fastening the upper leather to the inner sole as far as the front portion is concerned, then removing the portion of the shoe thus formed from the foot and placing therein a suitable ma terial for preventing undue deformation during subsequent operations, then uniting the outer sole, and finally removing the said material.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

v VVILLEM JANSEN, J. HZN.

Witnesses: I

H. J. KOON, J. K. P. BLOKHEIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. O. 

